S: Country air aroma of hay, light fresh earth, spice, a touch of pine and lemongrass, an impression of tropical and floral without being sweet or perfumey. Nice notes of yeast hinting at the flavor to follow.

T: Follows nose and adds delicately balanced malt and hops. Taste is assertive but not aggressive; complex but very cohesive. Any bitter components present in the Sorachi hops are subdued and integrated into the overall complexity. There is a mellow spice hops flavor balancing the malt on the front, and the finish returns to the floral and lemongrass. There is a bit of elusive fruit here, the closest I can come is pear. After-taste is lip smacking fresh and clean and makes you want to savor and reflect before sipping again.

M: Medium body with carbonation present but in proportion to the flavor; the bubbles have presence but do not interfere with the taste.

O: This beer for me was inspiring; after a day of very high IBUs this was a refreshing eye-opener. It showed up big-time and reminded me there is more to beer than booze, bitterness and in-your-face attempts at "boldness". This is personal and is probably just an individual reaction, but the second and third sips of this gave me a bit of goose-flesh. This is a beer I will return to soon and often.